


High Time

by Daegaer



Series: Pretend to be Human [20]
Category: Saiyuki (Anime & Manga)
Genre: Androids, Friendship, Injury Recovery, M/M, Medication, Partial Mind Control, Science Fiction, Travel
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-09
Updated: 2020-07-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 18:55:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,121
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28451991
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Daegaer/pseuds/Daegaer
Summary: Gojyo and Hakkai must deal with Goku being a silly teen. And Sanzo being . . . different. And Gojyo must deal with Hakkai.
Relationships: Cho Hakkai/Sha Gojyo
Series: Pretend to be Human [20]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1152416
Kudos: 10





	High Time

Sanzo sat, cross-legged, apparently actually meditating instead of snoring his head off. Gojyo had seen plenty of novices slapped back into wakefulness with a cane over the years, but Sanzo, the moment he had _become_ Sanzo instead of a skinny little novice inexplicably favoured by the previous holder of the title, had just keeled over into the Land of Nod every time rather than practice his meditation, and there hadn't been a damn thing anyone could do about it. He had a lot of lost practice to make up for. Whatever. It gave Hakkai and him plenty of time to run check on the jeep, patrol obsessively and tell Goku yet _again_ to get down off tall rock ridges where he could be seen against the skyline.

"I've got to get some exercise somehow, Gojyo," Goku said, his face open and innocent, the way he'd always been in the monastery when he was trying to put one over on silly security androids who just wanted to keep him safe. It hadn't worked then, either.

" _Running. Up. Rock. Faces. Isn't. Safe,_ " Gojyo said. " _Do. Circuits. Of. The. Camp._ "

"You're no fun," Goku grumbled, and obediently jogged off. When Gojyo next turned round the kid had scrambled halfway up the nearest rock again.

" _Goku!_ "

" _Come down, Goku!_ " Hakkai called, coming up beside him. " _What a brat,_ " he said, as Goku reached the top and waved at them. " _Down! Right now!_ he called up.

Goku made what Gojyo was fairly sure Hakkai would term an impertinent gesture and ran off along the tops of the rocks. It was infuriating. The kid would break his neck, and Gojyo wasn't there to save him. It was also - painful – he decided. What had he done, to have Goku be so rude to him? It wasn't helpful right then, so he looked at Hakkai for help.

" _I'm. Too. Heavy. To. Climb. Up. There. Like. That – Can You?_ "

" _I hate to say it_ ," Hakkai said, " _But I think this is something I am unable to do_." He looked at Gojyo more closely. " _You're distressed. I'm sure he'll be fine, Gojyo. He really is very agile._ "

" _He. Flipped. Me. Off,_ " Gojyo said, aware of how stupid he sounded. " _Why. Would. Goku._ Do _. That?_ "

Hakkai patted his arm sympathetically.

" _I'm sorry, Gojyo_ ," he said. " _I know how fond you are of him. Children are often rebellious at his stage of life; it's quite normal. No matter how many novels he reads about tragic androids, he now thinks he should be on the human side because he sees_ you _as an authority figure to be rebelled against_."

" _Authority. Right,_ " Gojyo said. " _Can. You. See. Him?_ "

A flock of birds erupted from some bushes on the top of the rocks. Goku could be heard whooping in glee.

" _At a rough guess -_ " Hakkai said dryly.

"Where's Goku?"

They both spun around to find Sanzo looking around him with a mildly inquisitive expression. It was so unlike his normal look that Gojyo found he had reflexively compared stored images of Sanzo to what he saw in front of him, just to be sure of the identification.

" _He is burning off excess energy by rock climbing and parkour, sir,_ " Hakkai said with a polite bow.

"Could you call him down? He needs to do some study."

" _Certainly, sir. What area of study do you wish me to concentrate on?_ "

Sanzo made a vague gesture and pulled his cheaply printed copy of sutras out of his sleeve. He waved it at them, then stared at it in fascination, flicking through the pages before answering.

"His religious studies, I'll handle it."

Hakkai bowed again and turned back to the rock, giving Gojyo a perfectly human _This should be good_ smile and raised eyebrows as he did so. Gojyo had to agree.

" _Master Goku! Master Goku, please come down, Master Sanzo wants you! Hmm, you know, I'm sure he'll say he couldn't hear me. Gojyo, if you wouldn't mind -_ "

Gojyo turned up his vocal projectors.

 _"GOKU! GET! DOWN! NOW!_ "

Goku immediately peered over the edge. Hakkai and Gojyo both pointed at Sanzo. Goku slithered over the edge of the rock and in a cascade of small stones came down far too fast for Gojyo's liking. He hurried forwards and caught Goku as the kid half-jumped, half-fell the last few metres. He was warm and solid in Gojyo's arms, as he'd always been. The memory of catching him as he leapt, fearless, from trees as a child surfaced unbidden.

" _Are. You. OK?_

"Yeah, of course!"

" _That's good,_ " Hakkai said, coming up as Goku was set on his feet. " _Master Sanzo wishes to instruct you in the sutras_."

"Shit," Goku said, which seemed fair enough from Gojyo's point of view.

" _Before you go to him, perhaps you could apologise to Gojyo for - I believe the term is "flipping him off"? – Well?_ "

Goku went scarlet and looked down. "I was just kidding," he said in a small voice. "I was just joking, really."

" _It's. OK. Kid_ ," Gojyo said.

Hakkai looked down at Goku, sternly. " _If you ever make an obscene gesture at Gojyo or me again, young man, I will tear your head from off your spine,_ " he said, his voice entirely inhuman and void of emotion. As Goku's eyes went wide and his mouth fell open in surprise, Hakkai's eyes creased up in his usual smile and he said, sunnily, " _I am of course just joking, really. Go to Sanzo. Now._ "

" _What,_ " Gojyo said as Goku shot over to Sanzo's side, " _The. Fuck. Hakkai?_ "

" _Haven't you ever read any of the silly books he likes? The naughty evil androids say that sort of thing all the time. Eventually they are redeemed by the love of a good human girl. Or boy, depending on the circumstance. Oh, Gojyo! You didn't think I was_ serious?"

Gojyo laughed, glad he could produce the sound at will.

" _You're. A. Good. Actor._ "

" _All androids have to be. Now, if you'll excuse me I must get Master Sanzo's pain medication ready. The wound really is doing very well, but we must try to persuade him to see a proper doctor if we ever come across one again. How lucky that he's been in such a good mood recently._ "

Gojyo looked at Sanzo patiently chanting line by line and encouraging Goku to repeat him. He didn't seem to notice that they had read the same short paragraph twice already. Gojyo smiled at Hakkai, thinking of how recently they had restocked their supplies and how low the painkillers seemed to be running.

" _It. Makes. A. Nice. Change_ ," he said and kept the smile on his face as Hakkai grinned and walked off.

He had no idea what to do.


End file.
